Board Game

ABSTRACT

A flexible game board and carrying pouch for holding game playing pieces and the game board itself which is easily deployed for playing and compactly restorable within the carrying pouch. The game board is formed of a flexible sheet defining a game board face for receiving the game pieces thereon when said game board is spread and placed atop a support surface for play. The carrying pouch, also formed of flexible sheet material as a unit with the game board and defines an interior volume with an elongated opening. One edge of the opening is connected to and extends from one margin of the flexible sheet whereby the opening faces toward said game board. The interior volume is sized and arranged to receive the game board, when folded or wadded up, and the game pieces. A drawstring or closure connected around or with the opening encloses the flexible sheet and the game playing pieces after being placed into the interior volume.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to board games and more particularly to a flexible board game formed as a unit in combination with a flexible pouch and wherein the flexible game board and playing pieces may be fitted into the pouch for storage and portability.

2. Description of Related Art

Many people enjoy participating in one or more games which require a game board and playing pieces such as backgammon, checkers, chess, MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE, or virtually any other board game of this general type. Such board games are typically stored in a cardboard or wooden box as the game board itself is typically formed of one or more pieces of substantially rigid flat board material having a game playing face painted or applied thereto.

There is also a strong market to the same board game playing people who wish to carry a portable board game with them during periods of travel, vacations and the like. However, currently available portable board games are typically in miniaturized form wherein the game playing pieces themselves and the corresponding game board itself are substantially downsized to effect compactness and portability.

A number of prior art board games offering features of convenient storage and compactness are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:

-   -   U.S. Pat. Des. No. 255,909 to Miller     -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,999 to Casely     -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,133 to LaBarge, et al.     -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,191 to Frost     -   U.S. Pat. No. 1,284,308 to Gathercoal     -   U.S. Pat. No. 1,269,276 to Harris     -   U.S. Pat. No. 1,262,821 to Marks     -   U.S. Pat. No. 724,760 to Van Altena     -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,564 to Lamie     -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,389 to Kalivas     -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,730 to Vannozzi, Sr.     -   U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,528 to Goodman, Jr.     -   U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,353 to Lanice     -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,184 to Sansores     -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,571 to Fischer     -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,645 to Simons     -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,772 to Lewis, et al.     -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,459 to Ostolaza

Of particular interest is the Design U.S. Pat. No. 255,909 issued to Miller which teaches the design of a flexible board game. However, the game board as shown in FIG. 5 thereof appears to attain limited compactness by being rolled up while the pieces are held within a separate attached pouch. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,999, Casely teaches a collector for board game pieces into a piece bag.

The present invention provides a very compact and portable, very easily and simply deployable, and then storable game board having a flexible carrying pouch integrally formed as a unit therewith. Being formed of flexible, foldable, preferably fabric type sheet material, the game board itself may be easily folded or stuffed into the integrally attached carrying pouch along with the game pieces, after which a drawstring, zipper, VELCRO flap or other closure will retain these components within the interior volume of the flexible pouch. At the end of play, the game board may also be used as a chute for sliding the game playing pieces into the pouch before the flexible game board itself is then fitted into the pouch. Upon deployment, the pouch is simply opened, the flexible game board removed and spread onto a flat surface, and the pieces then easily slid onto the game board for immediate use by simply raising the pouch, the opening of the pouch directly facing the game board itself.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a flexible game board and carrying pouch for holding game playing pieces and the game board itself which is easily deployed for playing and compactly restorable within the carrying pouch. The game board is formed of a flexible sheet defining a game board face for receiving the game pieces thereon when said game board is spread and placed atop a support surface for play. The carrying pouch, also formed of flexible sheet material as a unit with the game board and defines an interior volume with an elongated opening. One edge of the opening is connected to and extends from one margin of the flexible sheet whereby the opening faces toward said game board. The interior volume is sized and arranged to receive the game board, when folded or wadded up, and the game pieces. A drawstring, zipper, VELCRO flap or closure connected around or with the opening encloses the flexible sheet and the game playing pieces after being placed into the interior volume.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a highly portable board game having full or normal sized playing pieces which is easily and compactly storable into a flexible carrying pouch formed as a unit with the foldable flexible game board itself.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a combination flexible game board and carrying pouch with game playing pieces which may be easily stored and transported during periods of travel and vacation.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a flexible game board and carrying pouch formed as a unit for holding both playing pieces and the folded game board fitted therewithin and wherein the game board may be used as a chute for quickly storing the game playing pieces into the pouch.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred one-piece pattern used to make the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention in the stored, carryable configuration.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention absent the game playing pieces for simplicity shown in its deployed ready to use configuration.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 absent details of the game board face and showing full or normal sized game playing pieces thereatop.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another game board face for playing backgammon.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the invention being used to conveniently store the game playing pieces into the pouch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the pattern in the flat of the invention is shown generally at numeral 10 in FIG. 1. This pattern 10 is generally formed of flexible sheet fabric or synthetic material of sufficient weight to be spread atop the ground or flat surface during play and will also compactly fold or be rolled or wadded into a more compact size as will be described more fully herebelow.

The pattern 10 includes a generally rectangular game board 12 having a game board face 30 (not shown in FIG. 1) printed or drawn or otherwise applied thereto. The pattern 10 also includes the side panels 14 and 16 which form a flexible carrying pouch shown generally at numeral 34 in FIGS. 2 to 6. Each of these panels 14 and 16 of generally rectangular shape are folded against one another about a transverse fold line 18 after the margins 22, 24, and 26 have been folded over in the directions of arrow A and sewn together as shown along the dotted lines to form seamed, finished margins. The seamed panels 14 and 16 are folded over atop one another along fold line 18 and sewn together along opposing side margins 22 and 26 to form the carrying pouch 34.

Transverse margins 24 and 28 are unconnected to form an opening 38 seen in FIGS. 3 to 6. A cord channel 36 is formed when margin 24 is folded over and sewn and the proximal transverse edge 28 of panel 14 is folded over on itself in the direction of arrow B and sewn together. A short central tongue portion 20 is provided which positions the opening 38 of flexible pouch 34 facing the game board 12 for the purposes of which will be described in more detail herebelow.

To accommodate the normal size of game playing pieces such as checkers, chess pieces, backgammon pieces, dice and the like, the overall length of the pattern 10 is preferred to be approximately 36 inches with the normal-sized game board 12 itself having a length of approximately 17 inches and a transverse width of 15 inches. The side panels 14 and 16 have a length of approximately 8 inches and a width of approximately 7 inches before hemming as above described. The preferred flexible fabric sheet materials are selected from cloth, leather, vinyl, nylon and the like.

The stored portable carrying configuration of the invention is shown generally at numeral 40 in FIG. 2 wherein the game playing pieces shown typically at numeral 42 in FIGS. 4 and 6, along with the game board 12 itself, have been fitted through the opening 38 into the interior volume of the flexible carrying pouch 34. The drawstring 32 has been tightened to close off the opening 38 to prevent inadvertent loss of any of the game playing pieces 42 therefrom.

To deploy the invention 40 or 40 a in FIGS. 2 to 6, the drawstring 32 or other closure means such as VELCRO or snaps (not shown), is released. The game playing pieces 42 may be slid from the pouch 34 after the game board 12 has first been removed therefrom and spread onto a flat support surface. In this embodiment 40 shown in FIG. 3, the game board face 30 is in the form of a checkerboard or a chess board (game playing pieces deleted from FIG. 3 for clarity). As seen in FIG. 4, the game playing face 30 a may be plain with the game playing pieces 42 a being selected from those games which only require one or more dice and playing pieces which do not require a specific game board face. As seen in FIG. 5, the game playing face 30 b may be in the form of a BACKGAMMON game board as well. Thus it is noted that virtually any board game which utilizes game playing pieces is envisioned to be within the scope of this invention.

At the end of play, as seen in FIG. 6, the distal corners D of the game board 12 a may be folded and gripped together and lifted upwardly in the direction of arrow D with the game playing pieces 42 still atop the game board 12. While holding the distal margin E of pouch 34, the game playing pieces 42 will then easily slide down the chute in the direction of arrow C formed by folding the game board 12 as there shown. Thereafter, the game board 12 itself may be folded or wadded and stuffed into the interior of the carrying pouch 12 and the drawstrings 32 or other closure means then enclosing these contents within the flexible pouch 34 for transport and storage.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles. 

1-3. (canceled)
 4. In combination, a flexible foldable game board and a flexible carrying pouch holding game playing pieces, comprising: loose game pieces; said game board formed of an unweighted flexible sheet of fabric, leather, or synthetic material defining a game board face for receiving the game pieces thereon when said game board is spread and placed atop a support surface; said flexible carrying pouch consisting of two mating side panels and defining an interior volume and having an elongated opening, one edge of one said side panel being connected to a short central tongue which extends to one margin of said flexible sheet, said opening facing toward and extending along a proximal end of said game board, said carrying pouch having a width substantially smaller than that of said game board, side margins of said carrying pouch being evenly centered with respect to a width of said game board; said interior volume sized and arranged to receive and store the entire said game board, when rolled, wadded or folded, along with all the game pieces therewithin a flexible drawstring connected around said opening for closing said opening and enclosing said interior volume when said flexible sheet and the game pieces have been placed into said interior volume.
 5. A portable storable game board and a flexible carrying pouch for holding game playing pieces, consisting of: individual game playing pieces; said game board formed of a single sheet having substantially parallel spaced side margins and proximal and distal end margins, said game board being formed of an unweighted flexible sheet of fabric, leather or synthetic material defining a game board face for receiving said game pieces thereon when said game board is spread and placed atop a support surface; said flexible carrying pouch formed as a part of said single sheet and defining an interior volume and having an elongated opening, one edge of said opening being connected to a short central tongue centrally positioned between said side margins and extending to said proximal end margin wherein said opening faces toward said game board; said interior volume sized and arranged to receive and hold said game board, when folded or wadded, and the game playing pieces therein; a closure for closing said opening and enclosing said interior volume after said flexible sheet and the game playing pieces have been slid into said interior volume by folding said game board into a chute and elevating a distal end of the chute, said central tongue guiding the game playing pieces from the chute into said pouch.
 6. In combination, a flexible game board and a flexible carrying pouch for holding game playing pieces, consisting of: loose game playing pieces; said game board and said carrying pouch formed of a single flexible unweighted sheet of uniform fabric, leather or synthetic material and having a first larger substantially rectangular portion thereof defining a game board face of said game board for receiving the game pieces thereon when said game board is spread and placed atop a support surface; a second portion of said flexible sheet being substantially smaller than, and having a width approximately half that of, said first portion, said second portion, when folded into two side panels and seamed along opposing side margins, forming said carrying pouch; said flexible carrying pouch defining an interior volume and having an elongated closable opening, one edge of said opening being connected to and extending from a short central tongue which is connected to a proximal end margin of said first portion wherein said opening faces toward said game board and is positioned in close proximity thereto; said interior volume sized and arranged to receive said game board, when folded or wadded, and the game pieces therein; said opening, when closed, securing said flexible sheet and the game playing pieces within said interior volume for storage and transport.
 7. A flexible game board and a flexible carrying pouch for holding game playing pieces and being formed from a pattern, consisting of: a single flexible unweighted sheet of fabric, leather or synthetic material and having a first larger substantially rectangular portion thereof defining a game board face of said game board for receiving the game pieces thereon when said game board is spread and placed atop a support surface; said pattern also defining a second portion and a short tongue of said flexible sheet, said second portion having a substantially elongated rectangular portion being substantially smaller than, and having a width approximately half that of, said first portion, said second portion, when folded in half along a transverse fold line and seamed along opposing side margins, defining said carrying pouch, said short tongue being positioned between said first and second portions; said flexible carrying pouch defining an interior volume and having an elongated closable opening, one edge of said opening being connected to and extending from said short tongue wherein said opening faces toward said game board and is positioned in close proximity thereto; said interior volume sized and arranged to receive said game board, when folded or wadded, and the game pieces therewithin; said opening, when closed, securing said flexible sheet and the game playing pieces within said interior volume for storage and transport.
 8. (canceled)
 9. (canceled) 